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Nice Things Denial Update #4908

Fun With Modifiers

April 08, 2008

Mario Kart 64 Have you ever noticed how an awful lot of video game titles tend to follow a basic formula that revolves around adding modifiers to a basic franchise name?  Anyone who needs a quickie title for a new game can just reach into the bin of modifiers and tack on a "super", a "DS", or a "64" and then, *BAM!*: instant game title.  In fact, we've come to the point where you may have to think for a moment whether or not a game really exists even though the title sounds like it should.  Mortal Kombat 64 is not a real game, but it sort of sounds like it should be.  That brings us to today's exercise.  I'm going to list game titles in groups of four.  In each group your job is to pick out the fake game title.  Can you spot all of the fakes?

Super

Once upon a time Nintendo added the word "Super" to the Mario Bros. title and precedence-setting history was made.  Plenty of other publishers followed suit whether or not their games deserved the ultra-powered moniker.  Which of the games listed below are not really "super"?

  • Super Adventure Island
  • Super Bonk
  • Super Bubsy
  • Super Final Fight
  • Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts
  • Super Mario Kart
  • Super Star Wars
  • Super Street Fighter
  • Super Bases Loaded
  • Super Bomberman
  • Super Plok
  • Super Double Dragon

64

Nintendo did it again in 1996 by branding their Nintendo 64 launch titles with a "64" modifier.  After that it was all downhill for lazy publishers looking to tell their N64 offerings apart from their Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn projects.  Which of these games doesn't deserve its "64"?

  • Pilotwings 64
  • SimCity 64
  • Adventure Island 64
  • Mega Man 64
  • Mario Kart 64
  • Kirby 64
  • The Legend of Zelda 64
  • Bomberman 64
  • Carmageddon 64
  • Doom 64
  • Duke Nukem 64
  • Earthworm Jim 64

3D

When a game franchise made the leap into three dimensions it was common to stick a "3D" on the end of the franchise name.  Which of these games did not go into 3D with a "3D"?

  • Earthworm Jim 3D
  • Mega Man 3D
  • Duke Nukem 3D
  • Bubsy 3D
  • Bomberman 3D
  • Worms 3D
  • Gex 3D
  • Prince of Persia 3D
  • Lemmings 3D
  • Tetris 3D
  • Wolfenstein 3D
  • Dragon's Lair 3D

DS

The "64" updated for a new era as Nintendo began slapping a "DS" on its early Nintendo DS releases.  Other publishers soon followed along.  Which of these games isn't a legitimate "DS" DS game?

  • Bust-A-Move DS
  • Rayman DS
  • Super Mario Bros. DS
  • Diddy Kong Racing DS
  • Mario Kart DS
  • Star Fox DS
  • Tetris DS
  • Yoshi's Island DS
  • Mario Party DS
  • Harvest Moon DS
  • Kirby DS
  • Ridge Racer DS

Answers are below.

Answers

Super Final Fight, Super Street Fighter, and Super Plok never made it to store shelves.  Neither did Adventure Island 64, The Legend of Zelda 64 (it goes by Ocarina of Time, of course), or Earthworm Jim 64 (it arrived as Earthworm Jim 3D).  Mega Man 3D is not a real game, nor is Bomberman 3D.  Tetris 3D is not real, but it may sound especially familiar, as you could be thinking of 3D Tetris for the Nintendo Virtual Boy.  Finally, Super Mario Bros. DS isn't proper (it's actually New Super Mario Bros.), Star Fox DS is really Star Fox Command, and there is not a specific Kirby DS (both DS Kirby games have sported subtitles instead of a "DS" branding).  The others are all real game titles.  Yes, even Super Bubsy.

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